


Navigating the Unknown

by Sugarbubbleslove



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Gen, In a way, Insecurity, Light Angst, Past Issues, Smut, Working things out, and the proposal that's not really a proposal but it is still a proposal, brother getting to be a protective little shit, can't quite figure out what they mean to each other, fun times, not really knowing what they are, slight jealously issues, two people who are hopelessly in love with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-21 01:56:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10675302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarbubbleslove/pseuds/Sugarbubbleslove
Summary: So, they are still figuring it out – and so is the rest of the crewChapter 5: Bonus Chapter - meet Scott Ryder





	1. These Frustrating Unwanted Feelings

Title: Navigating the Unknown

Characters: Mass Effect Andromeda cast

Pairing: Liam/Sara

Rating: Teen to mature

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from the forum Mass Effect. Bioware owns Mass Effect and its characters. There is no copyright infringement intended. I do not make any profit/money or take any credit.

Summary: So, they are still figuring it out – and so is the rest of the crew

Timeline: Throughout Mass Effect Andromeda – basically set after the 'causal sex' but before 'Community'

Warning: Implied sexual themes, Spoilers for those who have not romanced Liam/completed the game, Angst in some parts (They are trying to figure out their relationship!)

Author's Notes: This – believe it or not – was actually inspired by Drack's mission when you go and get Vorn and Vorn accidentally slips up and tell the over-protective grandfather something he does not want to hear. It was funny to hear Drack go on about 'kids these days' which made it even funnier since my Ryder had slept with Liam at that point and they hadn't even established a relationship.

All I could think was how awkward it must have been for them and thus – this little plot bunny was thought up.

In addition, they are in a semi casual flirty banter/friends-with-benefits kind of thing.

Chapter 1: These Frustrating Unwanted Feelings

Timeline: Set During/After 'All In'

Changing some scenes

Sara Ryder resisted the urge to chuck her helmet into her locker, anger overriding her and making her slam her pistol onto the table. She let out a huff, shaking her head before she started stripping out of her armour.

She was being stupid. She was being childish. She knew it yet she refused to own it. Fuck it. She didn't ask for this shit and it was still happening.

She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, needing to let it down after having it up for so long. It was kinky and messy from being in a helmet, and from sweating. Running around and shooting was hard sweaty work.

And, of course, they were running around and shooting pirates because Liam had to give the Nexus codes to someone outside the Nexus and they ended up getting captured. Fearing that they were going to torture her for the codes, Liam came to her – _reluctantly_ – and asked for her help.

And it _stung_.

She bit her bottom lip as she tugged on her hoodie, her eyes closing at the comfort it was giving her in that moment. She loved her hoodie, a little something from the Milky Way.

Getting back on point, it hurt her to know that if Liam could have taken care of the rescue on his own, he wouldn't have even come to her.

And it made her wonder if their - friends with benefits, or casual sex, or whatever people wanted to call it – is just getting in the way of their once blossoming friendship.

Okay, now she was just being harsh. She and Liam were still friends, good friends. He made her laugh – she didn't think she had ever laughed as much as she did with him. They confided in each other.

But, at the same time, there was still a distance between them. He had promised he wouldn't become the clingy boyfriend – saying that was not what she needed – but she felt like she was becoming the clingy girlfriend and it _bothered_ her.

She was jealous. There, she admitted it. Stupid girl. She was jealous – Liam seemed concerned for Verand, so frustrated and agitated that it just spurned jealously inside of her.

It only increased when she heard the relief in Liam's voice when he spoked to Verand over the coms after they managed to catch up with the group.

She was being stupid. She could practically hear her brother's voice singsong in her head. He was always the one to point out when she was overthinking something.

But was she this time?

She and Liam had made no claim on each other, merely said they would leave the door open to see where it would go but nothing else.

They had sex. God it sounded so clinical in her head when she thought of it. It was more than just sex.

Then again, it could be just on her part and that Liam was just that good of a lover.

She sighed, worrying her bottom lip before she spotted Vetra's concerned gaze out of the corner of her eyes and distantly remembered that she was still in the locker room with her crew members.

Time to be the _Pathfinder_. Urgh, she hated that title and the damn position.

Sara turned to them and gave them a brief smile, meeting Vetra's gaze.

"Why don't you head on down to Lexi, Vetra? Make sure that graze is okay?"

Vetra merely narrowed her eyes at her before she looked at Liam, who was shifting awkwardly on his feet.

Sara watched as Vetra eyed them both before her eyes widened and Sara swallowed back the sudden fear that rose up in her. Understanding dawned on the Turian as she looked at Sara before she gave an exasperated head shake.

"I should have known." She walked away, leaving Liam frowning after her and Sara's watching as her heart thudded in her chest.

Fuck it. It was supposed to be a thing on the down low. Shit.

Sara cleared her throat, making Liam jump and look at her with wide brown eyes.

"Shall we go and talk to Bradley?" She asked. Liam nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Let's go," he cleared his throat before he gestured with one hand for her to go first.

She felt skittish as she walked by him, twisting the cuff of one sleeve nervously as they entered the deck and headed over to the front. She barely noticed Suvi and Kallo as August Bradley's image showed up on the screen.

"Glad to see you two made it," Bradley told them with a grin on his face. "You got out just in time, that ship is 6 kinds of irradiation now."

"Glad to see you showed up," Liam jested back with a hand raised in greeting.

"When you called us, I admit I wondered what we could do. Glad to see even Settlers can help out." He grinned. "Just to let you know that we are taking everyone home. Verena thinks we might even be getting Angara settlers. Which will be a good boost for Eos."

"Just make sure everyone gets home safe. No detours. We went through a lot to risk anything else now," Sara jumped in.

"I hear that," Bradley agreed before he looked briefly off screen then looked back. "Hold on a moment. Someone wants to talk to you, Liam."

The image shifted to reveal the Angara that Liam had been working with.

"Verand," Liam greeted with a bright smile and Sara bit her lower lip, giving the Angara a brief nod of acknowledgement.

"Liam, it is good to see you are safe. And thank you, for whatever that was." She smiled softly. "It is good to know that your friends will come for you, and their friends," she looked Sara.

Sara and Liam looked at each other and she felt her cheeks heat up before she quickly broke their gaze.

Friends. That's what they were. Why did it hurt again?

"Yeah, we weren't going to leave you in trouble," Liam's voice seemed hoarse to her and another streak of jealously ran through her. Damn it girl, you promised you wouldn't get in deep.

"You take care of yourself," Verand told him before she winked out and Bradley took her place.

"We best get a move on. Next time Liam; let us just play cards. I'm getting too old for this shit."

Liam laughed.

"I'll believe that when you believe it."

"Pathfinder," Bradley gave her a short nod before communications cut. Sara sighed before she turned and walked away.

"SAM, could you see about possible transport to get the Ship back to Nexus?"

"It might not be feasible, Pathfinder. It is hazardous inside."

She made her way up to the meeting room, walking over to the window, stopping when she heard Liam's voice.

"That worked out. Everything just…just so." she scoffed as she turned to face him with a look of disbelief. "Before you start, I want you to know…I…ah, well, I'm sorry." She arched an eyebrow. "I mean, this was a mess. Even though we won, it wasn't by much."

She opened her mouth to say something Liam got in there first, again.

"It was all worth it. You showed Verand that 'Pathfinder' can stand for everyone."

There was that bleeding title again. She never asked for the title and a brief surge of resentment built up inside of her before she squashed it down. It wasn't fair to resent Liam for that. It wasn't his fault.

"But…I need to be smarter about taking risks," that she had to agree with, giving him a nod, "So," he raised his arms, "You're right. Sorry."

Liam went to say something else but Sara decided to cut him off before he ran off even further.

"No, my turn to talk," she held up her hand, cutting him off. "We got lucky – _you_ got lucky – Liam. If it had been anyone but Calot, we might not be having this conversation. I understand where you are coming from, and I know you want everyone to find a bridge together but you can't take these risks." She sighed, shaking her head. "I am glad to see that you understand that you know you can't take these risks but Liam…this is something that could have backfired on us, big time."

Liam looked away and she hated herself for saying these things, especially since he had already said he was sorry but she needed to know that he was going to stop taking these risks.

She knew he was reckless. Liam was all emotion; Cora said her father recruited Liam for that reason. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he rushed head first into danger to keep the enemies on him and off their team members.

And it was part of the reason why she was attracted to him. But it didn't stop her from waking up in the middle of the night – or for whatever passed as the middle of the night – in cold sweat over seeing his dead body and cold blank eyes.

She couldn't lose anybody else. None of her team members, they were beginning to come together as a family, and she couldn't lose _him_.

"You are _not_ expendable, Liam," she finally said. God, was her eyes turning glassy? – she could feel the tears. She quickly closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over them under the disguise she was rubbing them out of frustration or tiredness.

"I know that," he finally said and she met his gaze.

"Do you? Really?" She doubted it. "Because sometimes it feels like you put the 'Pathfinder' first and I don't want that, Liam."

He didn't argue but she could see that it was sinking in.

"I," she sighed, shaking her head before she met his gaze again, "Just be careful." Her throat closed up as the memory of the last time she said that welled up in her mind and she shoved it down, hard.

She was _not_ to compare them. Not in a million years.

"Ryder…Sara…" Hearing her name on his lips brought her back and she took a step back when he stepped forward, her hands coming up. Liam stopped.

"Please," she felt like she was begging, "Just think things a little more through the next time, please."

Liam stared at her before he nodded.

"I promise."

She felt like crying. She took a deep breath before exhaling, deciding to get back on track.

"Anyway, good job," she finally told him, mustering up all the happiness she could.

Liam's startled expression elicited a brief real smile from her before it dampened.

"Really? Good Job?" it got a stuttering laugh from the man.

"Could have done a little less dangling in open air," she shot at him as she turned away, walking over to the railing.

"Yes, of course," Liam hastily agreed, walking up next to her and placed his hands on the railing.

"But we did good," she gently admitted. "We saved everyone, no-one is any wiser to the codes, and we got rid of a dangerous psychopath. It's a win all around."

For them, she guessed.

She looked down at her hands, still curled around the railing before she spotted Liam's larger one next to hers and she wondered, once more, if she was just being stupid.

And there went her brother's voice again, calling her out for overthinking things. Damn it, she was a Recon Specialist, she was far more comfortable around artifacts than humans for fucks sake.

"So, do you think she will make the jump back to the Nexus?" Liam broke into her thoughts. She looked up at the ship, before she sighed, ready to shrug when her eyes widened.

The ship had decided that moment to explode in a fiery blaze.

Stunned silence dawned on them yet Sara knew – without looking – that Liam was grinning madly and it made her own lips curl up.

"I guess not," she finally replied, making Liam laugh, his shoulders shaking while she was torn, she wanted to laugh at the stupidity of the situation, yet she wanted to be in dismay over the fact they had just lost something that might have been able to help them get an edge over the Kett.

Soon her laugher won out, the relief that they had survived the mission without losing anyone or having it backfire on them was a high.

And the irony of the Kett Ship exploding wasn't lost on her.

The tension slowly released from her shoulders as she shifted her body so she could look at Liam, who was still chuckling.

She sighed when her laughter finally died, feeling better than she did before.

She met Liam's gaze and his eyes darkened. She felt her body warm in response, biting her lower lip as her eyes fell to his lips.

Another thing that came with the high, there was nothing like a rush to get her excited for Liam, especially since most of their missions usually ended up with her pinned against something – usually a wall – and Liam between her thighs, his full weight grounding her while he took her.

Liam moved in closer and she held her breath before their lips met. His hands slid around her hips before he brought their lower bodies together, her arms banding around his neck and she pushed herself up on tiptoes.

 _Why did have to be so damn tall_ fluttered through her mind before he deepened the kiss, making her moan as one hand slid round the small of her back, the other slid its way up over her back then cupped the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing where the base of her skull met her spine.

She stumbled backward, her knees weakening, and Liam spun them around so her ass pressed up against the railing.

She broke the kiss to breathe; boosting herself up onto the railing then wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him back in for another kiss, ignoring the cocky smile he gave her.

Oh, this was much better, so much, she grounded herself against him. Liam's arms tightened around her as he pushed further into her body, almost making her lean back as he broke the kiss, tilting her head so he could leave kisses down the side of her neck.

She squirmed in his embrace, his breath making her tickle and she giggled, feeling him smile against her skin before he came back up and kissed her again, one hand slipping under the hem of her hoodie and over the skin of her back.

"Pathfinder, you have emails," SAM broke into their kissing and suddenly, as if cold water crashed over her, she pushed Liam away, taking in the sight.

They were still in the meeting room, nearly inches away from tearing each other clothes off and she swallowed, breathing heavily as she met Liam's eyes, still dark with desire.

She pushed him away further, slipping off the railing and adjusting her clothes, clearing her throat.

"Do you…" she clutched the railing behind her at the sound of his voice rough with desire, "Want to finish this in your-"

"Actually," she cut him off with a small smile, "Could we skip tonight? I have a lot of paperwork and Director Tann has actually been sending me e-mails wanting to know the delay in me sending the paperwork back." She laughed – god, did it sound bitter – and pushed back her fringe before she looked up at him. "It would be a good idea to try and head that off."

"Sure," Liam gave her a nod and brief smile. "Remember, no expectations."

She nodded, giving him a small smile before she turned away, leaving him behind as her heart hurt.

 _No expectations_ , right, she needed to remember that before she got herself in any deeper. And she needed a cold shower. No e-mail was going to get her attention.

TBC

So this ended up being a little more angst that I originally thought it would be. *Clears throat*


	2. The drawbacks of being intimate

Chapter 2: The drawbacks of being intimate

Timeline: after unlocking Alec's memories of Ellen

Liam was finding that being intimate with someone – even though it was just a casual thing – did have its drawback sometimes.

He knew Sara well, probably even better than she knew herself. And it scared the shit out of him. Seriously, how did it end up like this?

He wasn't going to lie and say he hasn't been attracted to her when he first met her sitting across from him in the Cryo Bay, hugging her coffee like her life depended on it.

He didn't even know who she was at the time, just that she was another member of the Pathfinder team.

Then he found out that she was Sara Ryder, the daughter of Alec Ryder – the man who had handpicked Liam to be part of his team. So he squashed it, then fell out of a broken shuttle and met up with her.

He ended up following her lead, and ended up being amused as hell as she scanned nearly enough every inch of Habitat 7. It led him into interesting areas, like the alien structure, and the area with the Remnant pillars and observer – not that they knew it at the time – and seeing that tree.

He had also been impressed at her choice to show the Kett they came in peace but was quick with her gun when they immediately started attacking Fisher.

He kept teasing her, calling her Recon Specialist, because that was what she was before she was picked for the Pathfinder team. And he saw how much it fitted her, the glee that filled her eyes whenever she saw something new. The breathlessness in her voice as she talked – or rambled, not that he minded – rattling off theories.

Then everything went to hell after that, allowing the two of them to get closer to the point she flirted with him, before she quickly laughed it off but he couldn't miss the way her gaze lingered on his for a moment before she looked away.

Then it deepened, and they ended up needing comfort after the Horror Palace - she had so aptly called it - and everything they had seen within it.

It wasn't intentional, but they ended up taking that path. She had tried to sneak out afterward but he caught her, noticing that brief flash of shyness and a little bit of fear – it was so sudden that he could almost swear that he imagined it – so he teased her about sneaking out on him.

She just flushed, swatting him on the arm before telling him she would see him later and she left, leaving behind her scent that faded.

Then she came to him a few days later, awkward and shifting on her feet, twisting at the cuff of her hoodie – a hoodie she only wore when she needed the comfort that she couldn't get from anyone else – and asked him what that night meant to him.

He wanted to tell her that he wanted whatever she wanted, if she wanted a relationship. But he didn't, he told her that it didn't need to mean anything or they could just leave the door open and see where it took them.

He didn't think he had ever been so relieved that she choose to keep the door open, to see where it could go.

So they had a semi-date in Aya – which he screwed up, as usual – and they kept having sex. Jeez, he ran his hand through his hair, it sounded so clinical when he thought of it like that.

It wasn't just sex with her, it was awe inspiring. She was so giving and passionate in their alone time than she was in public.

Sometimes he had to do a double take when it came to her in public. She was level headed and collected, keeping her cool while he wore his heart on his sleeve – it was how he was brought up.

But in private, when it was just them on the field or even on the Tempest, she would reveal her emotions, her glee for the exploration and the unknown.

He even caught Cora cracking a rare smile whenever Sara would get excited.

So when he saw Cora pacing in front of the shower, near enough arguing with SAM that he knew something was up, and it was to do with Sara.

He sighed as he walked over to the stressed woman. Despite what Sara thought, Cora did care for her.

He could see it in the way Cora would try to talk to Sara, her lips parting but nothing coming out before the Commando would turn away. She just didn't know how to speak to Sara after the loss of Alec Ryder. She lost her mentor, someone who had been there and showed the way. Sara had lost her father and he wondered if it had actually dawned on anyone to realize that fact.

"Hey, problem with the shower?" he asked, not wanting to give anything away.

Cora spun around to face him, caught up with her argument with SAM before relief crossed her face.

"It's Sara, she hasn't left the shower yet, and Kallo is worried that the hot water has already gone cold."

Another thing he found out about Sara, whenever she discovered something that upset her, she had the tendency to take a shower.

He sighed softly before he patted Cora's shoulder.

"I'll get her out," he told her. Cora's eyes narrowed at him as her lips parted to say something only for understanding to dawn on her.

This was seriously going to get weird.

"I knew it!" she hissed, surprising him. "I knew there was something going on with you two. Really?" He cleared his throat and looked away as he crossed his arms. Cora scoffed as she shook her head.

"It's complicated," he tried to ward her off. Cora just crossed her arms, mimicking his pose, and scoffed.

"How is it complicated? You are either together or you're just friends with benefits." He felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away again. Damn it, seriously – he and Sara just wanted to figure out what was going on with them first without dragging everyone into it.

He really thought they had been doing a good job of it so far.

He turned to look at Cora's look of disbelief and decided he needed to head this conversation off and get back to the original one.

"Cora, can I please get Sara out of a possible cold shower now?" he asked. Cora stared at him before she sighed.

"Here," she handed him the towel, "Just in case hers got soaked." He nodded, taking it gratefully before he walked over to the door.

"SAM, can you let me in?"

"Certainly," SAM opened the door, making it beep before sliding open. He stepped in and SAM locked it behind him.

"Sara?" he walked over to the shower area, peering in to see her sitting on the floor, her legs raised and her arms wrapped around them, her face pressed into her thighs.

Goosebumps were visible on her skin and she was shivering. Reaching out, he felt the ice-cold water and quickly switched it off before he squatted down.

"Sara," he tried again, this time placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sara slowly lifted her head, green eyes meeting his with confusing swirling in them.

"Liam?" She sounded tired.

"Yeah, you scared Cora. She thought maybe you drowned," he tried to jest, getting a confused smile from her and he softened, his hand sliding down to her elbow. "Should we get out?"

"I can't leave," she whispered, her gaze returning to her knees. "I leave; I have to become the Pathfinder. I…I can't," she shook her head.

"Hey," He rubbed her arm and she looked at him, "We'll just take it one step at a time. Do you feel you can stand up?"

"Too cold," she whispered. He nodded before reaching up to try her towel. It was dry and it was warm due to being on the radiator. He grabbed Cora's towel from his shoulder.

"Come on, we'll dry you off." He gently patted her dry, watching for any emotion in her eyes but she just seemed lifeless that it creeped him out. She barely spoke a word as he adjusted her limbs so he could dry her off everywhere before he put the wet towel in the basket and picked up the warm dry towel.

"Come on," He wrapped the towel around her mid-section before sliding an arm under her knees and the other across the small of her back. Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face into his neck.

He instinctively kissed the top of her head, briefly questioning himself, before he reached the door. SAM opened it, allowing him to step out in time to see Lexi coming up next to Cora, giving him a look he couldn't quite decipher before she nodded softly.

Liam turned, walking the short distance into Sara's bedroom and he headed over to the bed. He sat her down on the bed, gently detangling himself from her before he grabbed a pair of joggers and her hoodie.

He helped her to pull them on, dropping the towel onto the floor and then shifted the blankets, helping her slid into her bed then he pulled the blanket over her. He grabbed the towel, folded it up, and placed it under her head so her wet hair wouldn't soak her pillow.

Sara sighed, closing her eyes and he gently caressed her cheek before he turned his head to see Lexi was holding back, lingering near the doorway before he nodded and turned to Sara.

"Hey," she brought unfocused eyes to meet his, "I'll be right back. Lexi is going to have a look at you and I need to see Cora."

Sara sighed before she slowly nodded and he left her, giving Lexi a small smile as he left then he met Cora outside, who was pacing again.

She turned to face him.

"Is she okay?" The worry on her face was clear as day and he hoped the two of them will be able to build their own bridge.

"She'll be fine, in time," Liam confessed, "I think the stress of being a Pathfinder is beginning to get to her. Especially after everything we've seen and discovered."

Cora slowly nodded as she hugged herself. "Hey," Liam reached out, a hand going to her arm and she looked up at him. "Just give her time. She was chucked into the deep end and I don't think she even had a chance to come up and breathe."

Give her time," Cora muttered to herself as she nodded before she sighed and met his gaze. "You care about her," she told him, simply, making him confused, "More than you say you do." He swallowed. "Just…" Cora sighed before she gave him a small smile, sadness lingering behind it, "Watch her. She's a big girl and she can take care of herself." She pinned him with a hard look. "However her previous relationships were nothing to write home about so just watch her."

Liam watched her go, his mind scrambling to pick up the clues she had dropped yet nothing would fit into place.

He felt like there was something in the implication but for the life of him, right now, he could not make sense of it. Or he did not want to make sense of it.

He sighed, rolling his shoulders before he stepped back into the room to see Sara curled up on her side in her bed.

Lexi was talking to her in a low voice, gently smoothing back Sara's wet hair before she smiled softly and straightened up.

He watched as Sara's grip briefly tightened on Lexi's hand for a moment before it let go, allowing the Doctor to go.

Lexie came to a stop in front of him.

"She is fine, physically, despite being in the cold water for who knows how long. My advice is to keep her warm and try to convince her to get some sleep tonight. No paperwork. She doesn't need stress."

"Sure thing Doc," Liam assured her.

"And no activities either."

Liam felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away from Lexi's knowing gaze. At this rate, the whole bleeding ship was going to know about their situation.

Lexi left the room and SAM beeped it locked, letting Liam know it was safe to approach the bed, which he did, slowly and carefully so he didn't start the younger woman.

And she looked so damn young wrapped up in her covers.

Her eyes close, but her breathing was not steady.

"Hey," Liam slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, gently resting a hand over Sara's hip, meeting those dark green eyes filled with emotions she tried to hide.

"Hey," she greeted back, her voice hoarse and he wondered how much she cried in the shower.

He wasn't a betting man – he liked to have his credit, his clothes and his kidneys – but he could bet that she hadn't allowed herself to feel just yet.

"Are you feeling warmer?" he asked and she slowly nodded, one hand escaping the blankets and covering his. He turned his hand over, allowing her fingers to curl around his hand.

"Can…can you stay with me, tonight?"

"Sure," he nodded. He kicked off his shoes before he climbed onto the bed behind her, settling and she immediately turned so she was facing him, still wrapped in her blankets.

He adjusted so they were now facing face-to-face, her green eyes were still dull.

They just lay there in silence, him watching her, and her staring into nothing. He wondered what was going through her mind when she slowly came back to him.

"You once asked me if I brought anything from the Milky Way with me," she started and he nodded softly. "I brought this," she grasped her locket, the same one he always saw on her when she wasn't in amour. "This belonged to my mother. I…I got this at her funeral."

She rubbed her fingers over it before she sighed, shifting in a little bit closer.

"My dad locked some of his memories within SAM. Each time I do something specific, I get closer to unlocking them. I have already unlocked a few of them." Her grip on his hand tightened briefly. "Some of my dad's memories were of my mom." Now he was getting it. He knew she lost her mother before the Arks. Losing her father was a new one and he wondered if she even had the time to process it. "I saw when she told him. I saw her determination to get my father to let her go. I saw the reunion she had wanted for ages, I saw…" Her bottom lip trembled, "I saw her before her…"

She closed her eyes, turning her face into her pillow.

He reached out, gently caressing her cheek. She gently turned into his touch, sighing softly.

"I shouldn't be upset," she eventually told him and he frowned. "So many people out there are depending on us, me, to give them a home. They need the Pathfinder."

"And you need to be human," he gently reminded her. She met his gaze and he shook his head. "You need to be Sara, for a bit. So right now, be Sara – right here, right now."

"Liam…" He never got over how she says his name, the accent of hers giving it a lilt that sent shivers down his spine.

"It's just me and you in here, no one else. Be Sara in here, the Pathfinder stays out there."

She stared at him and he wondered how often had she had the chance to drop the Pathfinder Amour that she so carefully wore and wrapped around her when she was out in the field, surrounded by those who needed her to try to do the impossible.

Looking at her right now, she seemed young and he wondered if her Father had realized the consequences of what he had done, putting this pressure on her then he immediately felt guilty.

This man gave Liam a chance to be a part of something bigger. The man who helped them get to Andromeda for a new home. And the one who gave up his life for his daughter.

"It's okay to be scared," he told her and she laughed softly, her eyes glassy, "It's okay to feel anything, and it is okay to grieve for your father, not the Pathfinder."

"But he…"

"Was your father first before he was the Pathfinder," he interjected firmly but in a soft tone. "Everyone flipped when they found out when Alec died, claiming he had left them without a Pathfinder when he chose you." Her eyes flitted to the side. "But you, you asked why he chose you then you shut down, barely given a chance to grieve, and you were put to work."

"Liam…" she shook her head.

"Sara," his tone was just as soft and her lips trembled.

"I…" She bit her lower lip, "I lost my father." Her bottom lip trembled again, tears trickled down her cheeks before she squeezed her eyes closed, shaking her head. "I can't…they lost their Pathfinder, I can't be selfish-"

"Sara," He cupped the back of her head and she froze, "Let go."

It was not a command, but it was not a request.

Sara buried her face into Liam's chest, her hands gripping his shirt before he felt the tears wetting the material, her shoulders shaking and she curled up, trying to make herself smaller than she already was.

He just held her close, stroking back her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other as he tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat.

Her sobs were harsh and heart breaking and he knew, it was a long time coming and he was just relieved that she was finally letting it out.

She had lost her father at the beginning of their mission – she barely had spent any time with him – and she lost him when he chose her life over his.

Her brother was still in a coma due to his damaged pod before they could get him out and even now, he knew she was worried for him.

Then there was the whole Kett situation, finding new alliances, feeling the pressure, being the Pathfinder and expecting to have all the answers.

Finding out the truth behind the Kett had only complicated matters further, and left them feeling like they were striking out against the shadows, hoping at least one of their punches would land.

He felt out of control when it came to dealing with the new dangers, he couldn't imagine how Sara felt.

Soon her crying slowed down, soft hiccups escaping her before she sniffled, a hand reaching up between them to rub her nose and she sighed softly before she finally brought up her head, meeting his with puffy green eyes, her cheeks blotchy, and a red nose.

"Sorry about your shirt," She apologised. Liam shook his head, shifting and stripping his shirt, tossing it behind him before he settled on the bed again.

"It'll wash," he assured her. "Besides, I think you needed it more than I did."

She rolled her eyes but there was that spark of humour, the corner of her lips lifting for a moment.

That was his girl, never the one to stay down.

His girl…was he really going there with that?

He rubbed her cheek before he smiled softly.

"Do you feel a bit better?" he asked and she slowly nodded.

"Yeah." She gave him a smile, looking more like herself and he was glad to see that. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, only doing my job as your bodyguard," he told her with a simple grin and she rolled her eyes even harder before she gently pushed at his shoulder.

"Funny, I thought your job was to engage all the enemies on the battlefield," she teased back.

"And it keeps them off your back," he reminded her.

"Meaning you take risks," she gently teased but there was a slight darkness to the back of her eyes and he remembered the conversation after they saved Verand. He winced.

"Hey, I'm taking less risks and more precaution," he reminded her, almost hastily, "Considering you have my back on the field, right?" He smiled as she blushed.

He had noticed how most enemies that he managed to distract and come running to him end up trapped in a stasis field, allowing for easier dispatching before the field would explode, sending the enemies in different directions.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she informed him. He merely arched an eyebrow and she huffed out her cheeks, looking adorable. "I don't want to talk anymore," she informed him.

"Oh, what do you want to do now?" he asked, curious. She stared at him before she gently pushed his shoulder, making him lie on his back.

He was about to protest – Lexi's words coming back to him – when she curled up into his side, her head going to his chest and she closed her eyes.

Liam cautiously wrapped his arms around her the best he could with her being covered up before adjusting himself.

Sara sat up on the bed, grabbing the blanket that had a place at the bottom of her bed and pulled it over him before she settled back in to place with her head on his chest.

"I want to sleep," she told him simply and he felt his heart hurt for her.

"Okay," he whispered and she sighed, closing her eyes once more.

He played with the semi-dry hair, his other hand gently rubbing her arm when her breathing finally evened out, letting him know she has fallen into a deep slumber and he sighed, and gazing up at the ceiling with relief. He just hoped he was being the comfort she desperately needed.

Turning his head, he kissed her forehead once more and wondered again, just how far down the rabbit hole has he fallen for her?

TBC


	3. Jealously is not a good look

Chapter 3: Jealously is not a good look

Timeline: Kadara

One thing – can I point out the height between Liam and Ryder is ridiculous. In some, she looks like the same height as him, in others, she seems tiny next to him – make up your mind Bioware!

And this delves into the more smuttier side

It was Peebee's wolf whistle that brought his attention away from his data pad and he looked up to see Sara making her way into the Research Center dressed in black mid-calves leggings, there was lace at the hem and a white off-one-shoulder mid-thigh top, a simple silver belt cinched at the waist..

Her dark hair was loose from its ponytail, framing her face in gentle waves and she was currently putting simple diamond earrings in.

"Nice outfit, Kid," Drack told her. "You did good finding these, Vetra."

"Do not ask when I got them," Vetra held up a hand to Cora as the commando turned to look at her with a curious expression. "Even I am still surprised that I was able to find these."

"Are these your normal human clothes?" Jaal asked from where he was standing next to the Development and Research section, clearly browsing for another weapon to create.

"In the Milky Way, yes," Cora told him and he nodded.

"So what is with the get up?" Peebee asked. "Got a hot date?" She winked.

As jealously surged through him, he carefully kept his expression neutral.

Sara merely sighed as she finished putting the earrings in then ran her hands over her top, smoothing it out.

"I am currently Reyes' plus one to Sloane's party," she informed them. Liam bit back the growl at the mention of the man who kept flirting with Sara, while reminding himself that he had no claim to Sara.

They were both free to do whatever they wanted with other people. It was just something fun between them. If that was true, then why did it feel like daggers to the heart?

"SAM, are you sure I can't bring my gun?" she asked.

"Sorry Sara," Liam brought his Data-Pad back up to hide his smile, Sara had been very vocal in SAM dropping the Pathfinder title and using only her name, "But it is the rule on Kadara and you are merely going to a party, not a fight."

"Everything can be a fight," Sara muttered.

"If you do not wish to go, why are going?" Jaal asked; bewildered as ever when it came to the Milky Way of things.

"Because I need an Outpost on Kadara," Was Sara's response. "These people are not flourishing under Sloane's control and most of them regret the fact they even had revolted in the first place. We were late!" Sara stressed. "We were late and those people lost hope. So it is up to us to fix that." She sighed. "And if it means I need to be nice to 'Her Highness', damn it, I _will_ play nice."

Liam snorted before he quickly covered it up but not before he saw everyone look in his direction. Sara merely arched an eyebrow at him, her dark green eyes challenging him.

"I think you can play nice when you want to," Liam remarked, keeping his tone casual.

"Really?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. There was a glint to her eyes and the distance between them somehow deepened.

And he is not even sure how the distance even came about in the first place. All he knows since they landed on Kadara, they didn't work well as they used to.

Privately, he wondered if it was because of the obvious attraction Reyes had for Sara, and how she seemed to response in such.

Damn it, he swore he wasn't going to become the clingy boyfriend, that was something she didn't need. They were friends, pure and simple.

Liam came out of his thoughts to see Sara had turned her gaze to Cora, nervously running a hand through her hair, remembering what it was like to have his hands running through those dark locks.

And he mentally kicked himself. He did not need _that_ issue right now.

"Look," Liam stood up and walked over to the center, placing his hands on the table. "You can do this," he looked straight at her and she looked at him, startled, "You have gotten us this far, now you just needs to trust yourself that you can get yourself further."

She slowly nodded before a soft smile crossed her face and for a moment – just that moment – it felt like they mended their bridge.

"So you go out there, and you play nice-" Liam stopped short when he realized he was looking at her in the eyes rather than down and frowned. "How are you-" he gestured with his hands.

Sara's smile broadened as she started walking around the table, clicking coming from her shoes before he spotted the shiny black heeled shoes she wore – spiked heels, to be exact – and swallowed.

"Vetra was also able to help find these shoes too," she informed him. "Like them?" She asked, displaying her shoes. Like them? He didn't think there was a word to explain how much he really liked those shoes, especially on her.

"They could be very useful as a weapon, don't you think? I could always stab someone with the heels."

"No Sara," both he and SAM intoned, making her pout – cutely – while Peebee laughed, hopping to sit up on the counter, ignoring Cora's indignant swats.

"Maybe you should stop teasing them before they decide to ground you," Peebee warned her.

"It could work," agreed Sara before a grin flitted across her face, "Could you imagine Reyes' face if I were to tell him that I was grounded and thus was unable to be his 'plus one' tonight?"

"Again, if you really do not wish to go, why are you going?" Jaal sounded so exasperated that Liam had to feel sorry for him. Sara merely sighed before she shook her head.

"It's alright, Jaal, I'm leaving," she walked by Liam and he caught a scent coming from her that he did not know and realized she was wearing perfume.

He frowned softly. For someone who claimed to hate Reyes, she seemed to be going out of her way to dress up and jealously coiled in his stomach as a result.

"So," her voice broke into his thoughts and he looked to see she was looking at him with unreadable eyes, "I better get going."

"Yeah," He nodded, "Have a good night."

That glint in her eyes showed again before she shook her head and spun around on her heels, walking away.

His eyes dropped down to take in the arch of her back, thanks to her heels and showing off her shapely ass.

"I will get SAM to let you know if I need to be bailed out tonight," Sara told him without a backward glance, giving them a wave before she exited the ship, leaving behind a group part amused and part worried.

"She wouldn't really get arrested, would she?" Cora asked, sounding unsure.

"Don't worry," Drack spoke up with a laugh in his tone, "If she gets arrested, I'll bail her out." With that, the old Krogan made his way into the lift, obviously making his way down to the gallery.

The others slowly filtered out, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts and he wondered if he was ever going to stop screwing things up.

"You know," Peebee's voice made him look at her and she winked at him, "Jealously is not a good look on you." She walked away, leaving Liam staring after her before he sighed, raking his hand through his hair.

No, jealously was not a good look on him.

Liam made his way to his room; he needed a vid, and a couple of beers, in order to put this out of his mind.

He wasn't sure how long he had been watching – alternating looking at his data pad – the vid when SAM came to life, having gone silent while Sara was off the ship.

"Liam, Sara is back from her date," SAM informed him and he rolled his eyes.

"You don't need to keep me updated on her, you know?"

"She is coming your way."

"What?" he bolted up from his couch.

"And she is swaying unsteadily on the catwalk. She even gave Kallo a fright as she entered, announcing she was home."

That made Liam snicker for a moment before he rolled his eyes. Was SAM playing matchmaker or something?

A knock on the door made him realize that Sara had made it to his door and a brief panic surged through him before he forced himself to take a deep breath and headed over to it.

With a swipe of his omni-tool, the door beeped, unlocking, to reveal the Pathfinder on the other side of the door, gazing at him with those green eyes.

"Hey!" He forced a smile onto his face, "How was the party?"

She merely stepped forward, making him step backward, her scent threatening to intoxicate him.

She grabbed his top, pulling him in for a kiss, making his eyebrows shoot up before he groaned, sliding his hands around her waist, and pushing her up against the door.

She moaned appreciatively and it sent a jolt to his groin before she purred into his mouth, rubbing herself against him. Painfully, it reminded him just how long it had been since they last had been together.

Her hands slid upward so her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. Her shoes made her the perfect height. Not that he didn't mind when she would have to reach up on tiptoes, he really liked it when she had to go up on tiptoes.

Sara broke the kiss to breathe when he smelt the alcohol on her breath and warning bells went off in his head.

She pulled him back down for another deep kiss, making his eyes roll up into the back of his head as he nearly gave in but found the strength.

"Whoa, Sara," he pulled away, "Listen, you're drunk-"

"You are a jerk!" She pushed at his chest. "I got dressed up! I'm in freaking high heels – heels that threatened to break my ankles – and you couldn't even say I looked nice?"

A sob hiccuped from her, making Liam stop before he looked down at her face to see her eyes were slightly glassy but there was no cloudiness.

She was not drunk.

Liam did not know whether to laugh in relief that he was not taking advantage of someone who was drunk or to yell at her.

"Liam?" her voice brought him back into looking down at her to see she looked lost and he wondered, maybe there was two sides to the bridge after all.

He sighed, his hand running through her dark hair before he leaned in, resting their foreheads together.

"We were stupid," he told her wryly, with a smile. She huffed.

"You stopped touching me," she pointed out. "When we arrived, you… you pulled away." She sighed. "And I let you because it was easier than to confront you."

There was something in that tone, and Cora's words about how her previous relationships were nothing to write home made him wonder just what was in her past for her to believe that.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"I'm sorry too," she told him, a hand brushing back her bangs, "Especially for ambushing you like that." Her eyes flitted to the side briefly.

"No, no," he cleared his throat, "No need to apologize for the ambushing, ever." She bit her lower lip, a sure sign she was embarrassed. "Look, shall we sit?"

It awkward, _this_ was awkward and Liam felt like hitting himself up the side of his head as he tried to untangle his tongue.

"That would be great," at least she seemed as nervous as he did as they both made their way over to the couch.

"Here," he grabbed another beer from the box and handed it to her, then took it back before she could grasp it, twisted off the lid then handed it back to her with a sheepish grin.

Sara merely giggled as she took the beer and took a gulp.

"So, how was the date?" he asked before he nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight of her green eyes blazing furiously at him over the rim of her beer. He really needed to sort his tongue out.

"It was not a date, Kosta," she warned him firmly, "Reyes is up to something and he using me for that end." Liam frowned. "Besides, I got to punch him." He choked on his breath as he spluttered, staring at her dumbfounded.

"You what?" he was hearing things.

"I punched him," she repeated. Nope, he was not hearing things after all. She really had punched Reyes.

"I…why?" he shook his head and she smiled.

"As a distraction," she informed him. "You see, I was his 'Plus-One' so he could ransack Sloane's private storage room. Something about a bottle of Whiskey," she waved her hand dismissively, "and one of Sloane's guards was walking in so I punched him to make it seem like he had drank too much."

She was entirely too gleeful over the fact she got to punch him, something to puzzle over later, he gathered, as she shifted, placing her beer on the table, so she was now straddling him with that glint in her eyes.

"So, I noticed you like my heels," good god, was that a purr in her voice?

"They are nice," was that really his voice breaking? What, was he was a teenager again? Then again, she had been making him feel like a teenager every time they spent time together.

"Or the way my top shows off my ass?" she leaned in closer and he swallowed, his hands on her waist. Had he been that obvious? "Or maybe my perfume?"

There was that heady scent again, her lips brushed against his. Then it dawned on him as he pulled his head away to look at her with wide eyes.

Sara frowned as she leaned back on her knees.

"Is this all for me?" he asked, needing to be sure he was right.

"Yes?" she sounded confused, that little crease in her forehead, "Like I said, you stopped touching me so I kind of wanted to show what you were missing."

Liam stared at her before he laughed a full belly laugh as his head fell back onto the head of the couch.

"Liam!" she gently pushed at his shoulder, coming out as a whine that only made him laugh harder before he managed to bring his head down, trying to calm his laughter. "What is so funny?"

Liam managed to get his laughter under control before he sighed as he stared at her.

Honesty was the best policy, wasn't it?

"I thought you got dressed up for Reyes," he told her simply. Her nose scrunched up as she sat on his knees before she groaned.

"Really?" she looked so bewildered that he tried to hide his smile. "Why?"

"You two seem to get along, and he seems to be interested in you."

She looked even more confused, and then understanding seemed to dawn on her.

"Is that why you pulled away, because he was flirting with me?" She shook her head, "You were giving me an out!"

"Well I…" he stumbled for an answer, unable to find something to refute her statement before he frowned. Had he been trying to give her an out?

"Liam!" Sara sighed before she shook her head then cupped his cheeks. "If I was genuinely interested in someone else, not Reyes – never him – I would break things off with you before I did that. I would never string you along like that, ever. You mean too much for me to do that to you."

Liam let out the breath he had been holding, giving her a wry smile and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head before she met his gaze once more. "You would do the same, right?"

Her hesitation cut through his heart and it just made him wonder once more about her past before he knew he had to assure her.

"It's just you, promise," He held up his right hand, "And if I do find someone else attractive-" which he ever doubted since she had captured his attention since they first met – "I would tell you."

Relief entered her eyes, briefly making him wonder once more about Cora's words when she leaned in and kissed him, cutting off his thoughts and his hands started roaming her back.

She pressed her upper body against his and he slipped his hands down her body, running them over her thighs before sliding under her top to touch her hot bare skin.

Sara let out a breathy moan, his hands skimming her sides until one reached just under her bra, his thumb rubbing the underside.

" _No_ ," she pulled away and shaking her head, "No teasing," her voice was part breathy, part warning, " _You_ have been driving me crazier than both Sloane and Reyes put together. You are _not_ drawing this out."

Liam blinked, surprised before he laughed. She never failed to surprise him and she started pushing up his top, her fingers brushing against his hot skin and making him jerk when she started kissing his neck.

They managed to get rid of his top and hers in the process, leaving revealing her white lace bra to him.

"Nice," he took in the sight and Sara rolled her eyes then stood up. Liam took the hint, unzipping his trousers and pushing off his shoes before he settled back in his boxers before he let out a pathetic whine of disapproval as Sara removed those heels.

"I'll wear them another time, right now, they are killing my heels," she told him before she stripped out of her leggings, showing off matching panties and he arched an eyebrow.

"Did Vetra find these?"

"No, I had them in my bag." She resettled on his lap. "It took a bit of time to dig through everything. I really do prefer matching underwear." She kissed him again, rubbing against him and making the blood pump further downward.

Damn it, she was passionate and giving when they were having alone time.

Sara grabbed one of his hands, moving it down further her body until he reached her panties. Understanding, he rubbed against the material, surprised to find they were already wet before he hooked a finger into the material, sliding it off to the side before he touched her.

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

Sara merely nodded as two of his fingers slid into her and she started moving on them. Her head fell back with a moan, especially when he brought his thumb up and slowly rubbed circles, making her gasp, arching her back.

He kissed her chest, following the cups of her bra to tease her before he reached her sternum and dropped gentle kisses, pressing his fingers in a way that made her hands clutch his hair.

He liked it when she would clutch at his hair, tugging it to the point it was nearly painful but just enough to turn him on even more. He never thought he had a hair kink, apparently he did.

And so did she.

He used his free hand, not between her legs, to flip open her bra clasp and it loosen from her chest.

She pulled her hands away from his hair and chucked it from her body, her hands going to his shoulders as he took a nipple into his mouth, getting a gasp from her as she bucked into his hand.

"Hmm, I need more," she pulled his hand away from her, her other hand dipping down past the band of his boxers and she grasped him, gently tugging and he groaned.

He shifted his hips, pulled down his boxers to his knees before she adjusted, aligning them, and sunk down on him. Her lips parted in a gasp as he hilted and her head fell backward. His hands slid up her back before she started moving, she brought her head forward and met his gaze.

Damn it, he had missed this. He missed being with her.

"Liam," her voice broke him out of his thoughts to see her panting as she moved faster, harder, on him. He could tell she was close but he wanted to draw it out.

One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her further into his body, getting a pleased purr as a result, the other hand slid up her back until he cupped the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair, he tugged, gently, to expose her neck, and he kissed it.

Sara gasped, grinding down harder on him as a result.

Liam shifted his hips, meeting her speed. She fell forward, one hand going to the back of the couch, the other buried into his hair.

His lips reached her collarbone and he sucked, hard, before flicking his tongue over the mark he made, her breath hitching before one of his hands slid down between them, pressing and rubbing that spot that always made her shudder.

"Liam!" her hands curled into the material of the couch, her head fell forward, pressing their foreheads together as she fought to breathe as her body stiffened above him before she gasped.

Liam groaned as she fluttered around him, giving that last push he needed before he gripped her hips tight, holding her close before he kissed her chin.

Boneless, Liam sank back against the couch and she slumped against him, her face in his neck as she breathed heavily.

"That was good," he told her lamely. Sara stiffened in his arms for a brief moment before her shoulders shook and she started laughing.

Her laugher was infectious and before he knew it, he was laughing along with her, holding her close. It felt good to laugh again, especially after everything they had seen and done.

The distance was no longer there, he felt closer to her than before and she seemed to feel the same as she lifted her head up to meet his gaze with green eyes alit with happiness, the smile seems to fill her from within and it astounded him.

"That was probably because we stayed away," she told him, pushing back her sweat-soaked messy hair out of her face before her smile turned softer but no less bright. "Let's…" she sighed and gave him a soft kiss, "Keep talking, and _no more_ pulling away."

He smiled, wondering if he was too far gone for her.

And knowing him, he probably was and he didn't even care.

TBC


	4. Maybe it was there all this time

Chapter 4: Maybe it was there all this time

Timeline: 'Community'

One thing – changed the outfits, especially since Liam told everyone to change

I had originally written this chapter before I posted the first one but upon re-reading it; it didn't make any sense so I ended up re-writing the whole thing to make it fit in a little better.

Sara shifted nervously, twisting the cuff of her sleeve of her hoodie; her eyes kept flicking over to Liam, who was also dressed in a hoodie and sweats. She had to blink when she first saw the hoodie – she had never seen anyone else on board wearing a hoodie – hadn't even realized that everyone else had gotten an Initiative Hoodie.

Something she felt a bit put out to find. They got one – where was hers? The hoodie she wore was one of the things she brought from the Milky Way.

Turned out her hoodie got mislabeled as Scott's. So she went digging and found her hoodie mixed in with Scott's, found it was kind of on the small side – dear god, she knew her breasts were big but the hoodie made them seem even bigger – so she grabbed her brother's.

They could always find him another one once he woke up.

She looked at Liam again before she worried her bottom lip.

After Kadara, and the completely stupid dumb 'duel' incident – she was calling it an incident and she was never speaking of it again - Liam had approached her asking for her help on a special mission.

He wanted to go back to Eos, and they needed to have a talk.

It made her nervous, sent ice through her blood and she nodded weakly, giving him the brightest smile she could muster at that point.

He must have noticed because he seemed concerned – when was the man never concerned about her? – Then gave her a weak smile and walked away.

She stumbled into her room, the door closing behind her, and she slumped to the ground.

She was going to lose him. Stupid as it sound, considering they never made anything official, just sex – and feelings, and talking, and laughing, and the man made her want _everything_ – she had finally pushed him away.

She had done something that made him realized that she was just unlucky. She had already lost her father, she lost her mother before the trip, and her brother was in a coma.

Better get out of the friends with benefit before something happened to him.

She swallowed nervously, shaking away the despair and twisted her cuff even harder as she came out of her thoughts.

"Hey," a hand reached out and covered hers, making her look up into those concerned brown eyes, a frown knitting his forehead, "You twist that even harder, you will end up losing this hoodie," He smiled softly but it didn't reach his eyes, "and I know you love this hoodie."

She gave him a weak smile, wondering how he knew her so damn well, before she shifted again.

"So, are you going to tell me what the surprise is?" she asked.

"Nope," he popped the 'P' and she tried not to frown. She wasn't that big of a fan when it came to surprises, mostly because the surprises weren't good for her but she needed to have a little trust in Liam.

The ramp for the Tempest lowered, allowing them to see they were on Eos and Liam grinned.

"Come on everyone, out of the ship!" Liam called and got grumbles from the crew as each of them left.

Suvi was the more excited one, almost skipping down the ramp after grabbing Sara's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, with concern and reassurance shining in her grey eyes.

Kallo and Gil were pretty much pushing and pulling each other off the Tempest. Both of them didn't want to leave the ship but it had been assured since they were all going to be on Eos, and the Tempest would be parked in Prodromos, it should be safe for them to leave it.

Vetra and Drack were already off board, getting as much information as they could and arranging to have supplies brought in.

Cora was currently pushing Peebee – who was protesting, loudly, that she has already seen Eos and there was nothing more for her to see – down the ramp. Cora was ignoring her as she gave Sara and Liam a short nod.

Jaal merely followed the two women curiously before he got side tracked and wandered off in his own direction. He had not had much of a chance to explore Eos since he had boarded the Tempest.

Sara followed Liam off the Tempest and onto the hard ground of Eos. She looked around, feeling a sense of satisfaction when she saw the people milling around. It had been a long hard road for them to gain an outpost on Eos and she was always happy to see it.

"Come on," Liam gently tugged on her arm, pulling her over to where some poles lay in the sand and she frowned, curious to what was going on.

Liam picked up one of the poles, and she helped him, planting it in the ground before they did the same on the other side before it started to dawn on her what he was doing.

August Bradley kicking a soccer ball over to Liam only cemented the surprise. She looked at Liam and he grinned at her before he looked at the group that was milling around, a mixture of turians, Salarian, Asari, Humans, and Angara.

"Get your civvies on, it's going to get hot," he told them. They did what he told them do and he quickly went over the basic rules for them before he and Sara stood off to the side to watch the game.

"I…" she shook her head before she looked at him, "What made you think of this?"

"Didn't take much," he gave her a soft shrug, "A ball, a flat ground. HUSTL would start games at Refugee's camps. I didn't _get it_ then, but after the attack here, and the shit with Verand's rescue, I wanted to try something…low tech."

He was barely looking at her and it made her heart hurt. "So, what do you think?"

She swallowed nervously as she looked out at the group, a faint smile crossing her lips when she saw how much fun everyone was having before she sighed. Honesty was the best policy, wasn't it?

And maybe she could build another bridge between them.

"I think it's wonderful that you never stop trying to build your bridge," she told him, finally getting him to look at her. She gave him a small smile, and damn it – why did he look so damn concerned?

"Heh," he laughed softly, "It feels like I finally stopped trying too hard." He gave her a sheepish smile, "Crisis after crisis, trying to force people not to be outsiders. Even using the 'Pathfinder' as a symbol."

She looked away sharply at that. She still had trouble accepting the title, even though she was doing the job it was named after. It still didn't feel right, or fit right on her.

"I mean, you rally people like a champ," it sounded like he was trying to explain it to her and she wished he wouldn't, "But when it's life or death, is that friendship at the end, or relief?"

She puzzled over his words. It felt like he was trying to say something but she was missing the clues.

"I get it now. Why just getting together is so important."

She shifted again, wringing the cuff of her hoodie and worrying her bottom lip.

"Hey!" He grabbed her shoulder, getting her attention by pointing outward. "Check the play!"

She watched as the Angara and Asari both jumped up for the ball only to bump into each other and the Asari to fall onto the sand with a heavy thud. Sara winced in sympathy before she watched, her lips parting in a small gasp as the Angara reached out a hand to help the Asari up.

Both of them held hands and gaze for a moment longer than necessary and she felt a faint smile cross her lips at the understanding, her heart thudding painfully.

"Free kick for charging!" called out Liam, reminding them of the rules before he leaned in a little to Sara, lowering his voice, and making her shiver. "No charge for matchmaking."

She felt her cheeks heat up and she ducked her head, hiding her face behind her hair.

Damn the man, he was making her feel like she was a teenager again.

"I couldn't do any of this without you," his voice sounded soft and her throat felt like it was going to close up as tears filmed her eyes.

She cleared her throat, glancing at him before gently shaking her head.

"You're sweet Kosta," she told him. Last name was good, last name keeps the distance. And she needed it if he was going to break her heart.

"No, I mean it," he told her. She swallowed, keeping her vision straight again. "We're the same about a lot of things." She frowned, "So…what about _us_?"

Her heart stuttered painfully in her chest. Confusion whirled around in her head. He gently bumped shoulders with hers and she turned to look at him, needing to know where he was taking this.

"Fun is fun." He looked at her, "It's okay if it's just 'we used to flirt'," She looked away, frowning but he turned his body toward hers and she looked at his chest. "But if you're serious, I'd like to be serious."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his gaze, "What you are doing deserves it."

She stared at him, speechless.

Out of everything that went through her mind, Liam wanting to become serious never once entered it.

"I…" she shook her head, still bewildered.

"Hey, no pressure," he reminded her. She swallowed before she shook her head and took a step closer to him, nearly squinting due to the sun as she looked up at him. Seriously – what was it with her and heights?

"If we are going to be a thing," she started, "No pedestal." She looked out at the group before them, "The whole cluster wants a piece of the Pathfinder," she swallowed back the pain before she looked at Liam again to see he had looked away, shame briefly crossing his face.

Sara stepped in a little bit closer, just enough to brush him but not enough to touch him and he looked at her once more.

"Make us about _us_ ," her bottom lip trembled, with impending tears or excitement, she didn't know.

Liam stared at her before he sighed softly, that beautiful smile of his crossing his face as he reached up one hand and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch as he lowered his face so she was no longer squinting up at him.

"Sara Ryder," a shiver went through her spine, "It's about us."

She smiled, her hand covering his before she pushed herself up on tiptoes and kissed him, for the first time, in front of everyone.

It felt freeing, to be with him in front of everyone and not having to worry. His other hand came up to the back of her head. Her free hand went around his waist, holding on and she laughed, making Liam smile against her lips.

A thud registered and Liam jerked in her embrace, groaning as he lifted his head making her dazed from the lack of kisses before she followed his gaze to see the ball lying on the sand next to them before looking to see Gil was smirking, Suvi was hiding a smile behind her hand as she stood behind him.

Gil gave them a two-fingered salute.

"Either you're joining or going back to the Tempest. Don't make us all jealous we haven't found our partner yet," Gil informed them.

Liam merely gave him a one-fingered flip off, making Sara squeal as she swatted him on the chest and making Gil laugh.

Liam turned to face her again.

"So, wanna switch in?" he asked.

Sara looked up at him before she gave him a sly smile, turned her body and kicked the ball as hard as she could – thanks to Scott's training – and the ball slammed into Gil's stomach, making him double over as he coughed.

Suvi laughed as she came up behind Gil, gently patting him on the back as Gil tried to wave her off.

Sara merely turned to Liam, licked her bottom lip before she grabbed his hoodie, and then started walking backward toward the Tempest.

The wicked knowing smile on Liam's lips told her he understood her intentions before he swooped her up into his arms, making her squeal with delight and laughter before he rushed them into the Tempest.

They had a chance, now they were going to take it.

Sara lost track of time since they entered the Tempest and made a hasty bid for her bedroom. It had a bed, lots of room and a lock. Plus it was near the gallery and bathroom if they needed a quick break.

But they had mostly spent it in her bed, exploring each other and taking them time to get to know each other, better than before now they are officially in a relationship.

It still made her shiver to think of that word – relationship.

Her previous relationships were nothing to write home about but Liam…she had a feeling she would have been gushing about him to her mother should she still be alive, and it hurt her to know that Ellen was going to miss out on that.

Scott, on the other hand, was going to be _insufferable_ when he finds out about his sister and her relationship. She can envision it – can already hear his voice in her head.

"Okay, I'm going to say this once, and only once," she told Liam as she shifted onto her side, mindful of the ache between her legs. Liam was lying on his back next to her, the sheet modestly covering his lower region should anyone enter her room – not that they would, SAM was protective of her privacy.

"Hmm?" he hummed as he turned to look at her and she swatted his bare arm.

"You are a jerk for making me worry like that."

"Hey! What did I do?" he asked, holding up his hands.

"I thought you were going to stop this…thing we had going," she admitted, scrunching her nose as she tried to think up what to call their previous relationship-thing they had.

It wasn't exactly friends with benefits, but it wasn't a relationship.

"Pff," Liam laughed. "I'm not an idiot, Sara. I know a good thing when I have one."

That stung – not because it was him, but because that was how her other relationships burned.

She looked at the ceiling, wringing the sheets under her hands when a hand covered hers and she turned to look at Liam, who had an unreadable expression – the first one she had ever seen.

"Okay, this is probably going to bite me on the ass, but I need to ask this," he told her and she looked at him, confused. "Cora told me your previous relationships were nothing to write home about. Does that have anything to do with what you are feeling?"

Sara frowned; Cora said that?

"How did Cora…" she trailed off as understanding dawned on her. The way her father had been after her first relationship. The e-mails she got from him after her second relationship. "Dad," she shook her head. "Mom must have told him. He never said anything to me."

"Were they that bad?" Liam asked concern in his voice and she sighed.

"Depends on your definition of bad," she tried to jest but regretted it when concern knitted his eyebrows. She hated making him concerned. She sighed.

"How many partners?" She swallowed.

"Two – not including you," she told him. "First was when I was 17, in college and had a crush on the hottest boy in one of my classes." She rolled her eyes. "Second was when I was 20 and I fell for my boss because she was so worldly and larger than life." She shook her head. "Big mistakes."

"Can you tell me?" he asked. Sara looked at him, surprised but there was no hesitation there, just concern and honesty.

"Do you really want to hear this?"

"Yes, because I have an idea but I want to wait until I hear it from you."

"Will you tell me this idea?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p' again.

"That is becoming a habit of yours," she warned him and he just grinned. "Fine. He was my crush and when he asked me out, I didn't even hesitate to say yes. It wasn't until we broke up that he told why he dated me. He wanted to get my father's attention and when my father didn't give it to him, he decided he'll take what he could get, and then we broke up." She laughed bitterly. "My first breakup wasn't exactly my best moment."

"Jackass," Liam breathed out furiously, anger in his eyes.

"He's in the past, Liam," she reminded.

"Still a jackass," he repeated. She rolled her eyes.

"My boss was another crush and we had a relationship up until I found out she was married – and I found that out by meeting her husband – and when I confronted her, she laughed and told me that she only wanted me for my intelligence and our sex helped spiced up her sex life with her husband."

Even now, it still stung. She had developed feelings for her so finding out she was basically being used as a sex toy had hurt her a lot more than her boyfriend telling her he only wanted her for her dad and decided to have her body before he was finished with her.

"And now everything makes sense," Liam breathed out, bringing her back to the present and she focused on him.

"What makes sense?" she asked.

"Your little comments here and there that always made me wonder what you were really thinking. That fear in your eyes when I caught you sneaking out after our first time. You probably thought I was going to say I regretted it or say something stupid like 'thanks for the sex, let's not do it again anytime soon'."

Sara looked away from his knowing look, was she really that open of a book?

"Then there was that comment about how you let the distance between us grows rather than confront me about it. You probably thought I was getting bored with you and didn't know how to tell you and…shit!" he suddenly swore and she jumped, her heart going to her throat. "And you being all nervous and kept looking away from me today. You really thought I was dumb enough to break up with you."

"I…" she stared to protest but stop when she got the annoyed glare from him and sighed. "Fine, I thought you were going to break up with me. I've not exactly had the best experience in relationships. Plus, I don't really instigate anything between us – it was always you to start it so I kind of figured…" she shrugged helplessly.

"They were the ones to start whatever they wanted with you, didn't they?" he asked softly. She worried her lower lip. "Did they ever give you anything?"

Sara laughed, surprised at the question and bitter at the answer.

"No." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before she met his gaze, "Beside myself, you were the first to give me an orgasm because it was always about what they could get from me."

"A part of me is proud of that," he shot her a wry smile and she rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "And another part of me is pissed at that because you are such a giving passionate person and I am only sorry that they didn't see that in the first place, and glad because I mean I got to meet and get the chance to know you."

Sara couldn't help but smile at that. He was such a romantic.

Liam cleared his throat, looking away embarrassed and she laughed softly, leaning in and cupping his cheek, turning him back to face her before she kissed him.

His hand slid over her hip as he shifted so he was facing her and he broke the kiss.

"You know, it's nice just having this time alone," he told her and she hummed softly as she rubbed their noses together.

"It is, especially without having to worry about someone walking in on us," she told him.

"So I see Gil and Suvi knows about us."

Sara laughed wryly, making him pull away to look at her curious.

"Yeah, they might have known about us for a while now. Vetra knows about us too."

Liam stared at her before he sighed and smiled, making her arch an eyebrow.

"Cora, Lexi and Peebee also know about us."

She stared at him, her eyes widening before she frowned.

"How?" she asked to ask.

"You first."

"Urgh," she gently pushed Liam's shoulder before she shook her head. "Remember that time you surprised me in the gallery?" Liam nodded. "That was Suvi."

"That was Suvi? I thought it was a mouse!" he exclaimed and she laughed.

"Gil may have accidently spied on us one time and relayed the whole thing to Kallo. That was actually how I found out. Kallo confronted me and told me to keep my personal life in privacy since he was never going to un-hear everything."

"How…" he shook his head, confused.

"Remember that time with the Nomad?" She bit her lip at the memory – that had been one of the most hilarious yet sexist thing she had done – and Liam groaned, his head dropping forward so his forehead was resting against hers.

"Are you serious? We had a watcher?" She felt him twitch and arched an eyebrow.

"Liam, you have a kinky side, and you know," she reminded him with a laugh. He just cleared his throat and looked away before he frowned.

"And Vetra?"

"She caught me sneaking out after our first time. She got the wrong idea and only realized it after we saved Verand."

"Oh," he nodded before he frowned, "Hold on a minute, is that why everyone was asking me for hand-to-hand combat lessons?"

Sara just smiled at him, unsure what to say and he rolled his eyes. "That was a nightmare!"

"I helped make up for it," she reminded him.

"And they still managed to cut into our time," he reminded her hotly. She worried her lower lip. Liam just groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose before he waved it. "It happened; we'll just accept it and make up for all the extra lost time."

Sara had to laugh at that before she gently rubbed his shoulder.

"So, your turn," she told him, "How do Cora, Lexi, and Peebee know?"

"Remember that time I got you out of the shower?" She nodded.

"A little, it's still a little fuzzy," she admitted.

"Cora was outside the shower when I offered to go in and get you out," he explained and her eyes widened.

"Oh Liam," he looked so uncomfortable that she had to hide her smile, "That explains why you were so shifty around her."

Liam merely cleared his throat.

"Lexi found out the same time. Cora had called her to come and check on you," he told her. "She warned me no activities when trying to keep you warm."

A giggle slipped free and she covered her mouth.

"Yeah, my first time people finding out about us were pretty much warning me."

"I'm sorry," she shook her head.

"It was better than Peebee, I promise you that. She called me out for being jealous when we were on Kadara."

Sara rolled her eyes. She really hated Kadara. Loved the world itself – the water was beautiful – she hated the port so damn much. And she was in two mind over the incident. On one hand, she was glad that she and Liam had sorted their distance. Two – there should have never been a distance and she still blamed herself for that.

"So that means Jaal and Drack are the only two that doesn't know," she quickly counted and gave him a smile. "Not bad, considering," she told him.

"Let's not give them any ammunition to use against us," he told her and she laughed. Drack would be the worst. And Jaal would probably have so many questions.

His hand slid over her hip and ran up her back. Her hand slid down his arm and she closed her eyes, taking in the moment. A moment she never thought she would get since she became the Pathfinder.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Can you tell?"

"Hmm, you have that quirk to your lips. That tells me when you are happy," he told her and she opened her eyes to pin him with a curious glare.

"Either you are spending too much time with Lexi or you have a secret degree in psychology," she told him. That wasn't the first time she noticed he seemed to notice her mood.

"You twist the cuff of your hoodie when you want to say something but don't think you should – or are scared of the answer. You bite your lower lip when you are embarrassed and worry it when you start worrying the worst."

She pulled away from him, her eyes widening.

"Your eyes flit to the side whenever you think up a lie or I say something that hits a little too close to home."

"No I don't!" she protested. He merely arched an eyebrow.

"And you have a sly smile you use whenever you know you are about to say or do something that will inevitable end up pissing off someone."

She wanted to protest against that but her brother's singsong voice sounded through her head, reminding her of when he told her that and ended up conceded.

"And that is only from watching you since we started out together."

"You are one scary man, Liam Kosta," she informed him sourly and he laughed.

"You can be scary yourself, Sara Ryder," he kissed her nose and she wrinkled it, making him giggle that ended up making her giggle in return. "Can I confess something?"

"Hmm," she nodded.

"Do you remember when we first met, after we woke up from Cryo sleep?"

Sara smiled fondly at the memory.

"You waved at me," she told him, "Then laughed your head off as you spun around when the gravity field went off." He chuckled.

"Yeah, about that – I never knew who you were. I just thought you were another pathfinder team." He almost looked desperate, like he thought she was going to be angry and she just smiled, laughing before she gave him a gentle kiss.

"And you were being you."

"Is that okay?" he asked and she nodded.

"It got tiring, being known as Alec Ryder's daughter. Or for Scott, being known as Alec Ryder's Son.

"Was it that bad?" he asked and she shrugged softly.

"For me, I could get away because I worked with relics. Scott was the one who ended up with the black mark. He wanted to explore, to go through the relay, and find adventure. So when SAM was revealed and Dad was discharged dishonourably, it cut Scott's chances."

"Is that why he came to Andromeda?" Liam asked, gently rubbing her hip and she nodded.

"Here, they don't care about SAM…well, they do care about SAM, but not as much as they would have done in Milky Way," she hastily explained, "So Scott wouldn't have been shackled by that. They need everyone and Scott would have been able to have the Adventure he wanted."

Her smile faded as she thought about her lovely younger brother. He will be kicking himself when he woke up, for missing all of this.

"Hey," she looked up at him, "Scott will be fine. As I said, you both have a part of your father in you. He will wake up before you know it and you can yell at him for oversleeping after having 600 year nap."

"He really likes his naps," she giggled before she sighed, "He'll hate he has missed this, you know. He was supposed to be the one going on the adventure and making alliances. I was the one who was supposed to be exploring and getting to know all the technology."

"And you got both," Liam told her. She wrinkled her nose.

"And it sucks."

Liam laughed softly as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. She sighed softly, closing her eyes. The last time she remembered him kissing her forehead was a while ago, when she asked him to stay night after seeing the memories of her mother.

It was familiar, and she liked that it was familiar.

Liam pressed their foreheads together, she tilted slightly upward, kissing his nose, and she felt him smile, which made her smile.

"I know I said Sara in here, the Pathfinder out there," he told her, "But I need to tell you this. You are doing a good job of being a Pathfinder. You are getting out there and you are giving these people hope. I just need you to believe in yourself a little longer, just push a little more then, before you know it, you will be exploring the cluster and getting to know the entire alien tech you can handle."

"You always know the right thing to say," she told him.

"Scott will wake up and you will have your brother by your side, and the cluster will quiver in fear at the thought of two Ryders."

She laughed.

"They didn't quiver in fear when they had my father and me?" she had to ask.

"That was probably because your father would try and be professional while you tend to mock those who piss you off."

"I…" she thought back on it then huffed out her cheeks at Liam's knowing look, "Fine, I do."

"And I have no doubt that Scott will probably be the same as you which means double trouble."

"You think you are cute," she told him.

"Oh, I know I'm cute," he retorted, "You couldn't stay from me even if you tried." She pushed at his chest, he laughed, leaning back in, and he lifted a hand to cup her cheek. "You can do this, Sara, and I will always have your back."

Sara smiled before she leaned in and kissed him. Her mother made her promise to fall in love, at least once. At the time, back in the Milky Way, she thought it would never happen.

But here in Andromeda, she thinks she might have been falling for him when he flashed that smile at her and told her 'that blunt'.

The End

So I made this fit in a little more better with the previous chapters, all romance and angst with a good dose of tears.

And it ended up a good deal longer than the others – fitting, isn't it?


	5. Meeting the Brother (and the answer): Bonus Chapter

Chapter 5: Meeting the Brother (and the answer)

Timeline: Post Game

Bonus Chapter

Scott Ryder can safely say that he was having weird few weeks.

Finding out he was a coma by talking to his sister through their SAM implants, finding their father had died – he later found out that Alec died giving Sara his helmet because hers smashed, finding out that the Golden Worlds weren't Golden – that had been a blow.

Then he woke up to find his sister was now the Pathfinder. Harry had told him everything and he had seen it when he saw his sister.

She had been so happy to see him that tears were making her eyes glassy and the way she hugged him, he knew she was practically hanging on by a thread and he blamed himself for not being there.

He should be the one to shoulder the burden of being the Pathfinder. His sister was the one who loved alien technology, the one who practically vibrated with excitement whenever she discovered something new.

Harry had told him that his sister had taken on the role admirably, she had formed alliances, had built outposts, and was kicking ass everywhere she went.

And he _resented_ everyone for that.

They didn't see what he saw. They didn't see the shadows that lurked in the back of his sister's eyes, the way her smile was weak and stressed. The way her bottom lip trembled when she tried to talk about their dad.

He wonders if anyone had dared to stop for one moment and asked his sister how she was doing, asked his sister if she was coping, asked how she felt over losing their father – and Alec had been their father first before he was everyone's _Pathfinder_.

Scott sighed, raking a hand through his dark hair before he shook his head as a wry smile crossed his face.

He had a feeling there was one person who had actually asked her all the above and he had to shake his head.

His sister has met someone 600 years into the future and he came from the freaking Milky Way Galaxy, and had been picked by their father to be a part of the Pathfinder's Team.

He found it ironic, and hilarious – he would be lying if he didn't find it hilarious –and he was happy for her.

Harry was the one to tell him that Sara was dating someone, and that he heard from Lexi that it was looking serious.

He had been worried at first – of course, he was going to be worried – Sara never had the best experience when it came to relationships.

He growled when he thought about the _boy_ that Sara had brought home to meet the family when they were in college. She had liked the boy – Scott knew – and when he found out the boy had only dated Sara to get their father's attention, which failed, then slept with Sara before breaking up with her, he had descended into a fury.

He had wanted to rip the boy's head right off when he found out that Sara had to physically sit on him to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid. And he relented and regretted it.

Sara had withdrawn into herself after the incident. She was never much the people person before the boy – she was very much like their father, but she had withdrawn even further.

Then she got a job working for a woman she had idolised. She had been so excited , bouncing all over the place that he returned the favour and sat down on her to stop her from bouncing all over the place and making him dizzy.

He remembered their father finding this amusing. Then his sister had lost excitement nearly enough a year into the job and he a good feeling why.

He had seen his sister around her boss, the way the woman kept her attention, how Sara near enough bent over backward trying please the woman then it stopped and it had pissed him off.

Someone else had used Sara for their own needs, and didn't give a damn about hers.

He never mentioned it to anyone, kept his mouth shut and made sure he did his damn hardest to keep his sister smiling, doing things she wanted to do.

Now here he was, sitting on the bed as Harry checked him over to make sure he was better after being abducted by a manic who wanted SAM, and his implant, and tried to kill his sister – and not even in that order – jackass had tried to kill Sara first.

That was a fun thing to kick start his adventure, hearing from SAM if they didn't restore SAM and Sara's connection, he would lose his sister.

His sister had suffered badly due to the loss of the connection for a short time. He had seen it in Liam Kosta's eyes whenever he looked at Sara, his eyes searching as if to make sure Sara was indeed still there and in one piece.

He had seen the nosebleeds Sara tried to hide by discretely turning away and rubbing her nose with a tissue she had stuffed up the sleeve of her hoodie.

He had seen it in the way Liam would turn ever so slightly to Sara whenever she made a movement that caused her pain. Liam would be nearby, more than ready to steady her but content enough to let Sara take it at her own pace.

It was a change, and a sudden one, to see someone giving Sara wanted _she_ needed instead of taking what _they_ wanted.

He had seen it in the way Sara smiled at Liam, the way their hands would brush whenever they stood next to each other and it would result in a shy smile that had Sara hiding her face behind her bangs.

Liam was a little more obvious, the bright grin when he saw Sara, the way he reached out for her to just brush her arm or touch her hand or touch her cheek – he was a real touchy feeling person, Scott noticed with amusement.

So, here he was, sitting with the doctor poking and prodding at him – he really wished the tests would finish – with Sara sitting across from him, also getting poked and prodded by Lexi.

"You were so reckless!" Lexi scolded her and Scott watched with amusement, Sara seemed to shrink even further into herself. She was already tiny compared to his height so trying to make herself smaller was just comical.

"I had to give it a try," Sara defended herself. "They took SAM and Scott. I wasn't going to let anything happen to them."

"And you put yourself at risk," Lexi reminded before she turned to Liam, planting her hands on her hips. "And you were supposed to making sure she didn't do stupid stuff like this!"

"Hey!" Liam held up his hands, "Come on Doc, you know Sara. She is stubborn." Brown amused eyes met his, "Just like her brother and father."

Scott rolled his eyes.

"And since you two like to partner up together on the field, she has been taking after you quite a bit in that aspect," Harry called over, tease in his tone while Sara rolled her eyes and Liam just grinned.

"Oh, I have noticed her rubbing off on him," Lexi called back, "He certainly seems to think his plans out a little more carefully, that's for sure." She looked at the duo with a teasing grin, "Though his mouth still seems to run ahead of him sometimes."

Scott watched as Sara and Liam shared a brief look then looked in any direction but each other and he knew that Sara was overthinking stuff, _again_.

She always overthought stuff; it was habit of hers. Something good would happen and she would overthink it. She never could just jump and take the chance.

Therefore, it was up to him to help her make a choice. He just hoped it wasn't going to bite him on the ass.

Harry and Lexi gave them the all clear while warning them not to do anything that would make them land back in their care. Scott noticed Lexi giving Sara some pill bottles, who read the label as she took them before giving them to Liam, who placed them in his pockets of his cargo pants.

So, she trusted the guy with her life – since he heard Liam was a constant team member – and she trusted the guy with her medicine. And she just need that little push to fully trust the guy with her heart.

Thankfully, she had the perfect person to help make that happen and he watched as Sara led Liam over him.

Liam was tall. Sara was already small compared to Scott so seeing her next to Liam just made her ridiculously cute- and she always told everyone she was the cute smart one. He had to give her that; she won this round.

"Liam, this is Scott," she introduced them and Scott could see she was nervous, giving them both a shy smile. Liam gave Scott a grin. "Scott, do you remember Liam Kosta?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, I remember him," Scott shook Liam's hand, giving him a nod, "Dad picked him to be part of the Pathfinder's team. Crisis Response, right?"

"Yeah," Liam confirmed as he looked down at Sara, who smiled up at him.

"And the boyfriend, right?" asked Scott, grinning when Sara snapped wide green eyes toward him. "Yeah, you know, Harry told me you were in a relationship and it seemed serious. I had to see it for my own eyes."

"Scott, I…" Sara shook her head and Scott rolled his eyes.

"Relax Sara, I'm not pissed because you didn't tell me. So I have to say – really? A crew member?"

"I…" Sara seemed lost for words that Scott rocked on his heels, even more than amused then before. "You are having fun with this, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Yep," Scott nodded, grinning. Liam was looking between the two them curiously.

"You're a jerk," she told him and he nodded.

"Still your brother," he reminded her. Sara rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to be the overprotective one," she told him.

"You're overprotective when it comes to me," he reminded.

"I'm the big sister," she reminded.

"By a minute!" he shot at her. "Stop acting like it's years!"

"Still older," she taunted and he threw up his hands in exasperation.

"You are not going to distract me from the fact you have a boyfriend," he informed her and she rolled her eyes.

"Should I go?" Liam cautiously cut in, looking between the two of them.

"No, no, stay," Scott told him with a grin.

"Wha…are _you_ dating him?" Sara demanded.

"No, _you_ are," Scott reminded her, "Do you want him to go? I mean, I could tell him to go."

"No, I don't want him to go!" Sara exclaimed.

"Oh, do you want me to go?" Scott asked.

"What? No! Of course not!" She was beginning to look confused and Scott was having fun.

"Right, right – hey about that question Liam popped, I didn't hear, what was the answer to that?"

"Yes," Sara told him and he grinned.

_Sucker_ , he felt like mocking her but he decided to leave it, watching the emotions play out on Liam's face as he stared at Sara completely and utterly bewildered.

It took a few moments for Sara to catch up but when it did, Scott was treated to a delightful view of Sara's eyes widening once more, her lips parting in a gasp as she covered it with her hand before her eyes snapped toward Liam.

Who was still looking at her as if she hung the stars and the moon. Quite sickening, really, but a perfect match for his self-conscious sister.

"I…I…" Sara stammered as she stared at Liam. "That's not...wait, I mean…" she groaned, shifting on her feet as she desperately tried to come up with a way out but she was finding it hard.

"You're overthinking things," Scott singsong and she threw up her hands in frustration as she glared at him while Liam's smile just broadened.

"Sara," Liam grasped her flailing hands, pulling them round to the front and drawing Sara's attention back to him. "Do you want to marry me?"

"I…yes?" even Sara seemed completely and utterly confused; her features a mixture of excitement and terrified. Liam snickered, getting a pathetic whine from Sara.

"Babe, like I said, there is no rush – for anything," he told her, his voice soothing and Scott had to arch an eyebrow. The man knew how to calm Sara; he was worth keeping.

"But some of us would like an answer before we die of old age," Scott piped up, getting a mock glare from Liam and an outraged of understanding gasp from his sister.

"SCOTT!" she snapped as she spun around to face her brother, who pulled her in for a hug, startling her.

"He is a good man, sis, and he treats you well." Sara's arms came around him. "You deserve to be happy, so take this chance."

"Scott," she buried her face in his neck, hugging him tightly.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere," he told her and she nodded. He kissed the side of her head, just glad that he was getting the chance to hold his sister again. He wasn't going to lie and say that he hadn't thought he was going to die at the Archon's hand, or even due to the pain of the power flowing through him.

Even though he trusted and believed in his sister, he knew she had her limits, but she prevailed, she came through and she got them all a future they could believe in. And she fought like hell to get them all here.

Sara gave a deep sigh and he pulled away to look down at her, his hands shifting so he was cupping her cheeks and gave her a smile.

"So take a chance," he gently bumped foreheads with her, getting a soft smile from her, "Remember what Mom told us to do."

"I remember," she told him and he grinned before he pulled away and looked at Liam, who gently wrapped an arm around Sara's waist, letting her lean into him with a happy smile.

"You watch her," Scott told Liam, "Make sure she gets to be Sara more than she gets to be the 'Pathfinder'."

Liam grinned as he nodded.

"You got my word on that," Liam told him and Scott believed him.

"Welcome to family then, it's going to be one wild ride."

The End


End file.
